What fails to come across in many of these posts is that, like working parents, our daily lives vary dramatically from one another depending on the number and age of our children, our desire to leave the house, our comfort level for checking out new venues, etc. Although the hours are not so flexible, how you spend them is ultimately up to you, your spouse, and your children.

When my son was still young enough to want to be carried all day, we spent ample time with other new moms walking downtown, relaxing at vineyards, chatting at coffee shops and playing with our babies in each other's living rooms. I rarely spent the entire day at home because both my son and I were more content being active, out of the house and socializing. But I know some new mothers who would have hated this constant activity. They greatly preferred to spend the majority of these early days at home. One of the many perks of staying at home is being able to choose how you spend your day, and if for some reason it isn't working for you and your family, you can easily switch it up.

So what do you do all day? Do you sign up for music class or attend less structured park dates? Do you stick to a rigid schedule or a more flexible one? Do you socialize with other parents frequently, occasionally or rarely? Being able to make these choices is one of the many perks of the "job." What do we do all day? What my son and I want to do. We meet up with friends (both his and my own), go to museums, read endless truck books on the couch, make many messes, and continually search for new activities to try.